carlsbaddrew wrote:1. Do you ever go to the world without the kids? If so what age were they when you left them at home?
I do go without the kids sometimes, and I love it just as much as when I bring them along. The first time that we went without the kids our oldest was 15 and the youngest was 9. It was awesome and I remember saying to my husband that we should have done it much sooner.
carlsbaddrew wrote:2. When did you first bring your kids to WDW? Were they too young for it to be enjoyable?
The first time my kids went to WDW there were just two kids and they were 3 & 18 months. However they went to Disneyland much younger than that because we lived nearby. I don't believe in such a thing as "to young" for Disney, it has always been enjoyable. My oldest's first trip to Disneyland was at 12 days. Toss them in a stroller and away you go.
My favorite ages for the kids at Disney have been 3 - 5. That's because they are still young enough to really believe in magic and fantasy. I would not trade my memories of them at Disney during those ages for anything.
carlsbaddrew wrote:3. Is there an age you'd recommend they first visit WDW? Obviously I am aware WDW is fun for all ages, but I'm speaking in terms of it being a vacation the whole family can enjoy, versus cost, versus parents & kids getting some alone time. Does that make sense?
I'm taking your question as when is the best time to take an already Disneyland loving family for the optimal rare and expensive trip to Walt Disney World. A hard question indeed. I think that my answer based on questions you posed (enjoyment, cost, family time, alone time) is to go when the kids are 8 & 12, for the following reasons.
1) You included cost as a factor, and taking the kids at ages 8 & 12 keeps one of them in the rate of child admission, and dining plan. If you don't do the dining plan and pay out of pocket you might still be able to do kids meals for the 12 year old depending on her eating habits at the time. It is also much easier for the kids to share a bed at those ages, which means that you don't have to worry about not fitting into a standard guest room.
2) 8 & 12 is fun, all the rides all the shows, still lots of magic, perfect age for special events. Plus, the kids will be past having a regular nap time. It also leaves enough space to take them back for another family trip before they leave the house say at 13 & 17. As a mom with older teens and young adults, it became really important for me to have those last trips before they headed out on their own.
3) 8 & 12 is still taking them when they are kids, 10 & 14 is a different story all together. Some teens keep their love for Disney, others rebel against it. At 14 my youngest developed a habit of loving it, but feeling like she has to pretend that she hates everything, which tends to make everyone miserable. You never really understand traveling with a younger teen until you experience it for yourself.
4) 12 Years old is the cut off time for many "youth" activities such as bibbidi bobbidi boutique, pirate adventure cruise, and the resort kids clubs. That means that 12 is the oldest time that you can drop your kids off at the Disney run kid clubs for a parents night out. After that you would have to hire a private sitter.
I know that it seems like a no brainer that you could have your daughter watch her younger sibling when she is 14. That may or may not work. My son had no problem listening to his big sister and i could send them off together without a problem. My youngest daughter however can not be left with a sibling in charge because she doesn't feel that they have any authority over her. How that plays out is not something you can plan for, it's just how their relationship develops over the years. For my family - parent alone time on a family trip didn't come again until my youngest hit 14 and I could trust her to go off on her own. You may end up with kids that can do that at a younger age, but it doesn't always happen like that. If you want to plan on having alone time now, you need to do it during ages where they can get dropped off at the kids club.
Okay! That's my $.02 - take it for what you paid for it.
